egypt
Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of Egypt in Azerbaijan and Director of the Embassy’s Cultural Centre Ahmed Sami Elaydy visited the Institute of Folklore of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), on February 5.
The Egyptian Ministry of Culture and the UAE’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development signed an agreement to launch an executive programme for cultural cooperation on 29 January.
![This Week in PD African PD](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/J5PQH8L_fwsEF7bW4zg1n0tOWcCjVut5OgdGEAnQEmI.png?itok=2SA-NdP_)
Pope Francis announces that he'll be making his first trip to Africa stopping in Uganda and the Central African Republic, while other African countries addressed issues of development, human rights, good governance, and economic growth.
This comes as part of Egypt’s penchant toward using all types of soft power on various levels in an attempt to regain its lost role in Africa and rectify the widespread perception on the popular level in all upstream countries that depicts Egypt as stealing Nile water.
Faiza A. el-Naga noted that the recent Ethiopian Public Diplomacy Delegation’s visit to Cairo was a complete success. Faiza Abou el-Naga further suggested both countries needed to tap more potential areas of cooperation incuding investment and trade.
The Charlie Hebdo murders have reinforced anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiment that even when invisible always simmers just beneath the surface of public opinion in much of the West.
![I am an Arab by Marwa Morgan via Flickr Creative Commons](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/2424097148_54a5fb2d43_z.jpg?itok=RMK2mT4a)
Even in this emotionally fraught time most Arab states continue to ignore public diplomacy, writes Philip Seib in the CPD Blog.
Britain launched its largest trade mission to Egypt in over a decade on Tuesday, involving more than 40 companies from the top foreign investor in the Arab world's most populous country.